Structure of tubular framework for carrying surfaces working in the cold or hot



Dec. 21, 1965 J. MARCHAND 3,224,156

STRUCTURE OF TUBULAR FRAMEWORK FOR CARRYING SURFACES WORKING IN THE COLD OR HOT Filed March 19, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE NTOR TACQUES MARCHAND MWM ATTORNEV Dec. 21, 1965 .1. MARCHAND 3,224,156

STRUCTURE OF TUBULAR FRAMEWORK FOR CARRYING SURFACES WORKING IN THE COLD 0R HOT Filed March 19, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 9 13 a Z //I/ Fig.5

INVENTOR JACQUES MARGHHND B7 MWM ATTORNEYS Dec. 21, 1965 J. MARCHAND 3,224,156

STRUCTURE OF TUBULAR FRAMEWORK FOR CARRYING SURFACES WORKING IN THE COLD OR HOT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 19, 1963 uvvsm-og TACQUES MARCHAND QTTDRNEYS United States Patent STRUCTURE 0F TUiIULAR FRAMEWORK FOR CARRYING SURFACES WGRKING IN THE COLD OR HOT Jacques Marchand, 94 Blvd. Malesherbes, Paris 17c, France Filed Mar. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 256,405 (:IQIEES priority, application France, Mar. 20, 1962, 891,635 5 Claims. (Cl. 52--660) The object of the invention is a structure intended to provide carrying surfaces, plane or curved, by means of parallel tubular frames connected among themselves, and effected starting from a single member or primary member consisting of a strip of sheet metal stamped in a suitable way.

The details of construction of this basic stamping are the actual material of the invention.

The primary member consists of a strip of sheet metal bent lengthwise in a U-shape with a broad web and unequal flanges.

It comprises a first series of identical fairly deep embossed parts, regularly spaced and in the shape of tetrahedral elongated lozenge-shapes, intended to project a facet from the web of the U-profile from the side opposed to the flanges and at a certain distance therefrom.

It also comprises, possibly in the gaps of the preceding series, a second series of embossed parts intended either to stiffen the web of the U in its free part, or to project other facets of the web of the U at a small distance therefrom and on the same side as the flanges.

The stamped strip thus formed, in a large number of units, can first be joined two by two by welding by turning one strip over on a second and welding on the facets of the lozenge-shaped stampings opposed to the flanges and called diamonds.

There are thus obtained secondary groups of two primary members. These groups are called pi members because their section resembles the Greek letter pi.

The pi members, by a second welded connection, can be locked into tubes and this can be done by two different methods according to their construction.

If they do not include stampings on the side of the flanges, they will be locked by their flanges with the introduction of welding mandrels into the tubes.

If they have round stampings on the side of the flanges, they will be locked more easily by simply welding the faces of these stampings called secondary stampings.

When used in the cold and to produce floorings containing openings (steps of staircases, footbridges etc.) the outer flange is able to receive either a direct non-skidding perforation, or a small bar of different metal containing this same non-skidding perforation.

When used in the hot and in the case of high temperatures (800 C. to 1100 C. and over), the tubular structure must be produced with the following additional precautions.

The strips of sheet metal used will be lightly drawn out before being used in order to give the metal a homogeneity of structure and optimum fitness against fatigue by flow.

The flanges of the U locked into a tube must be separated by a thin layer of air in order to facilitate the expansion and contraction at the same speed as the webs constituting the U.

The present invention also provides for two methods of production of a secondary member when heat is used on the structure When the structure has to support heavy loads, it is desirable to fit together two primary members, to make up a secondary member, so that their flanges overlap, which increases the resistance to flexion of the members. In

3,224,156 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 order to ensure uniform expansion as a result of intense heating by radiation in the furnace enclosure, the outer flanges of a secondary member must be cut out so as to expose to the furnace radiation a visible surface of the inner flanges equal to that of the visible surface of the outer flanges.

However, this operation of cutting out the outer flanges can be avoided in the case where the structure is required to support medium loads. In this second embodiment, the flanges of each primary member are bent along a longitudinal approximately median line and the part bent over is pressed down towards the inside parallel to the web. Thus the stiffness of each primary member is increased. In order to obtain a secondary member, two primary members reversed with respect to each other are welded by their round stampings or secondary stampings and the upper flanges of the two primary members are in juxtaposition edge to edge without being welded, as well as the lower flanges.

Thanks to such a construction of the members of a structure working under high temperature, an equal expansion of the flanges and of the webs of the members is obtained, which removes all risk of deformation of the structure.

In order to make the invention clear, some examples of embodiments of it will be described hereafter with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a part of a primary member according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a secondary member constructed by the welding of two members of FIG. 1.

FIG, 3 shows in perspective a structure obtained by welding several secondary members.

FIG. 4 shows various individual arrangements united on the same figure but able to be used separately or combined differently.

FIG. 5 is a partial transverse section showing a weld by the secondary members.

FIG. 6 shows an arrangement of the flanges of the members which favours an equilibrium of the thermal expansions and contractions according to a first method of construction of a secondary member working at high temperature.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the flanges of the members according to a second method of construction of a secondary member working at high temperature.

FIGURE 8 is a section along the line VIII-VIII of FIGURE 7, and

FIGURE 9 is a section along the line IXIX of FIG- URE 7 showing the method of joining two secondary members.

The primary member represented in FIGURE 1 has a U-profile with a wide web 1 and slightly unequal flanges 23, the narrower flange 2 being intended to form the inner wall of a tubular box profile as will be explained hereafter, while the wider flange is intended to form an outer wall to it.

On the side opposite to the flanges 2-3, the member of FIGURE 1 includes a series of embossed parts 4 having the general shape already indicated and joined to the undeformed web of the U-section by a base 5 in the general shape of a lozenge. These embossed parts, elongated according to the length of the strip and spaced from each other, project a lozenge-shaped facet 6 on the side opposite to the flanges 23 for joining to a corresponding facet of an embossed part of another identical reversed primary member.

FIGURE 2 shows a secondary pi member resulting from this junction of two primary members 7-8 welded by the facets 6. The ends of the two primary members can be stayed by distance pieces of bent sheet metal 9 welded to the webs of the two primary members.

The secondary members of FIGURE 2 are then joined, as, for example, is shown in FIGURE 3, so that two sideways U-profiles of two adjacent members form, by their association, a tubular box profile 10 made up from the webs 11-12 of the two adjacent U profiles belonging to two adjacent secondary members and by the upper flanges 1344 and the lower flanges 15-16 of these profiles.

The assembling of the secondary members can be ensured by welding the superposed flanges 1314 and 1516, either over the whole length of the members, or only from place to place in the areas 17, while the adjacent flanges, such as 13 and 14, are separated from each other between these welded areas, this arrangement being particularly suitable in the case of use at elevated temperature by providing a layer of air between the superposed flanges, such as 1344, of the associated U-profi-les.

Instead of a weld of the flanges, the assembling of the secondary'members can be ensured by welding round stampings 18 formed in the Webs of the U-profiles on the side of the flanges, so that these stamped parts of two profiles to be joined come into contact with one another and can thus be welded together on the outside (FIG- URE without it being necessary to introduce mandrels inside the tubes formed by the association of two U-profiles. The stamped parts 18 may be provided between the embossed parts 4 and for example, alternate with them.

Between the embossed parts 4, instead of the stamped parts 18 on the side of the flanges, the U-profiles can have other stamped stiffening parts 19 (FIGURE 3) on the side opposite to the flanges.

FIGURES 6 to 9 represent members which are for work at elevated temperature. In order to ensure a maximum uniform expansion of the members of the structure, two embodiments have been envisaged.

That of FIGURE 6 shows a cutting of the flange of each U-profile which is intended to form the outer wall of the tubular profile. From this figure it is seen that the flange 20 in question has been cut according to a curve 21 in a general sinusoidal shape so as to expose a portion 22 of the inner adjacent flange with an area approximately equal to that of the flange 20. In this way, the two flanges present to the outer atmosphere areas practically equal and undergo balanced thermal expansions and contractions which avoid the deformations of the structure when this has to be used at high temperatures.

It will be understood that other forms of cutting could be provided and that this cutting of the flanges can be combined in different ways with the other arrangements previously stated.

The second embodiment is represented in FIGURE 7 and shows a secondary member made up of two identical primary members, indicated generally by 25, which are reversed with respect to one another and welded.

Each primary member 25 has a wide web 26 and two flanges of equal length which are each bent over along a longitudinal median line 27, so that a part of flange 28 remains perpendicular to the web 26 while the free edge 29 of each flange is disposed towards the inside of the primary member 25, being parallel to the web 26. As in the examples shown in FIGURES 7 to 9, each primary member 25 possesses tetrahedral embossed parts 30 and secondary stampings 31. The outer face of the bottom of the stamped parts 31 projects slightly beyond the plane determined by the external walls of the bent down edges 29 of the flanges.

In order to make up a secondary member, two primary members 25 are brought together so that the bases 32 of the secondary stampings 31 are joined as shown on the drawing. The bent down parts .29 of the flanges are opposite to each other, but there is a slight clearance between their faces. Care must be taken that the parts of flanges 28 are aligned in order that a perfectly level bearing surface may be obtained. Then the bases 32 of the secondary stampings 31 which are in contact are welded at points 33 by known means.

It will be understood that the slight clearance existing between the bent down parts of the flanges 29 is an important detail, since it permits the members to expand at will without deformation of the flanges taking place. If, in a furnace, the heat is evenly distributed, all the homologous parts of the primary members are subjected to an identical temperature and expand in the same way.

Finally if it is desired to make a continuous track, secondary members, such as that shown in FIGURE 7, are joined by welding them on the outer faces 34 of the tetrahedral lozenge-shaped embossed parts 30, as is shown in FIGURE 9. Preferably these faces 34 are spot Welded at 35.

I claim:

1. A tubular structure enabling carrying surfaces to be obtained and formed of parallel tubular frames joined to each other, comprising a single kind of primary members each made of a strip of sheet metal bent lengthwise in U shape with a wide web, the web of each primary member 'being stamped in order to provide, at least on the other side than the flange side of the primary member, identical embossed parts, regularly spaced and with an elongated lozenge shaped base, straight normal sides and diverging truncated top, said embossed parts projecting a facet from the web of each primary member and on the other side than the flange side.

2. A tubular structure as claimed in claim 1, in which the primary members are alternately in reversed positions and the facets of said embossed parts of each primary member being opposite facets of embossed parts of the adjacent primary member.

3. A tubular structure as claimed in claim 1, in which the primary members are alternately in reversed positions, the facets of said embossed parts of each primary member being welded to the facets of embossed parts of the first adjacent primary member whereas the flanges of the primary member overlap with the flanges of a second adjacent member in such a manner as to form a tubular profile.

4. A tubular structure of a carrying surface comprising primary U-shaped members in alternately reversed positions each having a web, embossed parts, and two flanges, the first embossed parts from the web of each primary member facing towards the other side than the flange sides and other parts embossed from the web of each primary member towards the same side as the flanges, first and other embossed parts of each primary member being welded to similar parts of both adjacent primary members.

5. A tubular structure as claimed in claim 1, adapted for being used at high temperatures, in which the outer flanges of the adjacent primary members are joined together for forming a tubular profile and are provided along their edges with a sinusoidal shape in order to uncover an area of the inner flanges which is approximately equal to the area of the outer flange.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,644,940 10/1927 Moyer l8937 2,423,682 7/1947 Castle 189-37 2,980,216 4/1961 Richards l8937 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, HARRISON R. MOSE- LEY, Examiners. 

1. A TUBULAR STRUCTURE ENABLING CARRYING SURFACES TO BE OBTAINED AND FORMED OF PARALLEL TUBULAR FRAMES JOINED TO EACH OTHER, COMPRISING A SINGLE KIND OF PRIMARY MEMBERS EACH MADE OF A STRIP OF SHEET METAL BENT LENGTHWISE IN U-SHAPE WITH A WIDE WEB, THE WEB OF EACH PRIMARY MEMBER BEING STAMPED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE, AT LEAST ON THE OTHER SIDE THAN THE FLANGE SIDE OF THE PRIMARY MEMBER, IDENTICAL EMBOSSED PARTS, REGULARLY SPACED AND WITH AN ELONGATED LOZENGE SHAPE A BASE, STRAIGHT NORMAL SIDES AND DIVERGING TRUNCATED TOP, SAID EMBOSSED PARTS PROJECTING A FACET FROM THE WEB OF EACH PRIMARY MEMBER AND ON THE OTHER SIDE THAN THE FLANGE SIDE. 